36 * Robin Evan Roberts * RHP
B-T: S-R HT: 6-0 WT: 190
BORN: September30,1926,Springfield, IL
RESIDES: TempleTerrace, FL
HOW OBTAINED: Signed to a $25,000 bonus on January 1, 1948, by the Phillies following graduation from Michigan State University.
MINORS: Spent two years in the minor leagues, his first and last seasons of pro ball ... Debut came with the Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks (Class B Inter-State League) in 1948 as a 21-year-old. After a 9-1 record, 2.06 ERA, 121 strikeouts in 96 innings, he was called up by the Phillies on June 17 ... Ended his pro career with Reading (p A) Phillies (Class AA Eastern League) 20 years later: 5-3 for 11 starts, 2.48 ERA.
MAJORLEAGUES: Pitched 19 seasons in the big leagues, the first 14 with the Phillies (1948- 1) ... Also pitched for the Baltimore Orioles (1962-65), Houston Astros (1965-66) and Chicago Cubs (1966) ... First game: June 18, 1948; last game, September 3, 1966 ... Career record: 286- 245,3.41 ERA for 676 games (609 starts).
PHILLIES CAREER: 20-game winner six straight years (1950-55) ... Making third start in five days, he won his 20th game as the Phillies clinched the pennant at Brooklyn, October 1, 1950 ...
Won a career-high 28 games in 1952 and set a club record with a winning percentage of .800; won 21 of his last 23 decisions that year. Finished second in NL MVP voting Never pitched under 304 innings from 1950-55 ... Led-the Phillies in innings pitched, 1950-60. Put together a streak of 28 straight complete games in 1952-53.~. Phillies career leader in games pitched (529), complete games (272) and innings pitched (3,739.1) and was the leader in wins and strikeouts until Steve Carlton came along ... 234-199 record in Phillies pinstripes.
NL LEADER: Led the NL in complete games and innings pitched, five times; wins, four times: shutouts and strikeouts, twice.
POSTSEASON: 0-1, 1.64 ERA for two World Series starts in 1950 against the Yankees.
HONORS: Selected to seven consecutive All-Star teams ... Shares All-Star Game record for most starts, five, with Lefty Grove and Don Drysdale ... Named Player of the Year by The Sporting News in 1952 and was chosen as the Pitcher of the Year three times by the same publication (before Cy Young Award was established) ... Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, August 9, 1976.
MISC.: Attended Michigan State University on a basketball scholarship ... Number (36) is also retired by MSU baseball and Wilmington Blue Rocks ... University of South Florida baseball coach, 1977-85 (262-240 record) ... First roommate in spring training (1948) was Richie Ashburn.
